Refugees and Berliners Come Together in Show of Solidarity

On Wednesday, global activism movement Avaaz brought together Berlin’s Begegnungschor, which translates to “encounter choir” and is made up of Berliners and refugees living in Berlin. Two-hundred singers gathered opposite the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church as an act of remembrance of the victims of Monday’s horrific attack at Breitscheidplatz, when 12 people died and 48 more were injured after a truck drove into a Christmas market.

The gathering was also a show of solidarity—choir members held small signs saying “You will not divide us,” “Ich bin ein Berliner,” and “Berlin hält zusammen” (Berlin holds together) while singing songs like “We are the World” and “Silent Night”. Ahead of the meeting, the organizers said, “Even in the midst of shock and mourning, our togetherness is fierce and attacks like these cannot divide.”

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Behind the vigil, people less inclined to sing their hearts out visited the church to pray, left flowers, or lit candles at one of the many memorials surrounding the guarded perimeter of the crash site.